Inside The Mind Of A Master: Maxwell Unplugged

There is a certain beauty and grace that comes with a good melody. R&B has long been the center of soulful grooves, melodic sounds, and sizzling vocal undertones. Top it all off with a healthy dose of creativity, you then begin to witness a culture and voice all its own. Any R&B connoisseur will tell you, the key to a good song is creativity, heartfelt lyrics, and seasoned music to back up the ever-popular vocal cords of whomever the lead singer might be. Once that has been accomplished, you have what the world knows as the key ingredients to stardom and fame.

Many of our long adored R&B legends have taken these key ingredients and shaped the face of music. Much to the R&B fan's delight, these legends have taken a basic way of expression and molded it into something of a modern day sound tunnel, releasing their time, space, and energy into the minds of the fans who thrive on their every note. They have also served as an inspiration to those who would come later and captivate us all with their gift of song. Our modern icons, such as Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Faith Evans, and the man whom I will attempt to give the amount of credibility he deserves in this article, have taken that inspiration and reconstructed, revitalized, and remastered the artform that is R&B into a way of life, a way of living, and a method of relaxation. One would attempt to compare the methods our musical icons' madness, but as most have figured out, there is not a comparison, an admiring word, or award we can give them that would scratch the surface of their true meaning to all of us. Far and beyond, one of those widely admired artists is Maxwell, a man of far reaching talent, a voice that could sting the ears of the deaf, and commands every scene and scenario he enters. I will attempt to give him as much due and respect as I can, but even I can never give him a fraction of the appreciation he has gained thus far.

To the dismay of R&B listeners during the mid-1990s, Maxwell presented a new era of sound: the tenderness of true romance, instead of the fleeting joy of sex. He combined the art of love- making with psycho-sexual funk to create a sentillating array of musical treasures, heart-warming romance, and true to life love experiences. Born May 23, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, Maxwell was an only child of a mother of West Indian descent, and a father of Puerto Rican descent. Raised predominantly by his grandmother early on, Maxwell had to learn the harsh lessons of life early on. Enduring the death of his father at age 3 in a plane crash, then his grandfather two years later, he had endured intolerable amounts of pain at such a young age. But under the nurturing tutelage of his grandmother and mother, he learned to overcome those obstacles and turn them into positive learning experiences.

A loner most of his early days, Maxwell was constantly taunted by other children, to the point where books, television, and music became his only friends. Those vibes would follow him into high school, where he took the attitude of a refugee. He wouldn't make many friends in high school, and has been said to have had only two girlfriends during that time. But boiling within him was the hidden talent that evaded him.....until then. Not even Maxwell himself knew what was in store for him, and his peers were really at a loss at what was about to happen.

Maxwell first began to play music at age 17, when a friend gave him an old Casio keyboard. Citing his musical influences ranging from Meringue to Salsa, Hip-Hop to R&B, the diversity of music began to intrigue him, and would serve as a motivation to compose rhythms unheard of at that time. Artists such as Sade, The Artist, Tony, Toni, Tone, Tito Puente, the late Sam Cooke, and Patrice Rushen were the personalities that shaped Maxwell into the musical phenomenon we know today. By age 22, he had written and composed over 300 original songs and filled the emptiness that prevailed inside of him all in one fail swoop. Maxwell had finally found his place in the world. But, he had many dues left to pay before he could enter the "promised land."

Maxwell held two jobs in his early adulthood years, working in a movie theater and as waiter in the local New York area. He held those jobs in order to make money to support himself as well as to add more instruments to his developing basic four-track studio. His job as a waiter was in the well-known Manhattan restaurant called "The Coffee Shop." He worked their for eight months, and it is there that Maxwell would find his "people skills." He learned how to talk to people, instead of being the shy and introverted person that he was. This would serve as an learning experience in which he would need to play to the crowd at his many future sellout concerts.Maxwell would take his love of music and talents to the stage. He began at Nell's, one of New York's premier locations for up and coming artists to display their talents. With the help of a friend who had a 24-track studio, he had recorded several demo tapes and began to distribute them to friends as a sounding board for what he had to offer to the music world. It proved to be a good decision because it helped the turn-out at his initial concert for the Nell's audience as well as made several record labels show an interest in him. The experience at Nell's would be the introduction of an atomic bomb waiting to happen. Until that point, Maxwell never actively set out to pursue a music career. It was through his efforts to impress a female, as with many artists, that the idea of a musical career would take form. After singing to that woman and making a tape for her, she began to fall for Maxwell. It spurred her to played it for friends, and eventually, it led to her seeking out a friend of a friend who worked at a record company. The end result would be a deal with SONY Records.

In 1994, Maxwell chose SONY because they supported his form of expression and attempted to not put too many limitations on him as an artist, though they were a bit nervous about Maxwell's producing talents as a beginner. His music's quality may not have been all that it is today but the message in his songs still hold the same significance. Even before his album or any form of radio play, Maxwell began his music career touring with such artists as The Fugees and Groove Theory on the Black College tour. While performing, the male spectators would constantly mock his hairstyle, his clothes, and his style, but instead of falling by the wayside and conforming to a more "acceptable" look and sound, his "underdog" mentality made him become more inclined to do things his way.

The end result of his endurance, perseverance, and experience dawned the fruits of his labor. After two years of being signed with SONY, he finally released his debut album, "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite," dedicated to a lady he met at a nightclub who didn't take a liking to him. Exposing his inner-sanctum with soul- invigorating tracks "Til' The Cops Come Knockin," "Lonely's The Only Company," "Whenever, Wherever, Whatever," and multi- Platinum hits "Sumthin, Sumthin," and "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)," Maxwell displayed the true essence of beauty and style, and sent his listeners on the ride of their lives. In March, 1997, the album would finally achieve well deserved Platinum status. While waiting for the album's initial release, he had begun working on his second album, as well as making cameo appearances with other artists. He did some wordless vocals on Samuel L. Jackson's narration of the Nelson George film, "To Be A Black Man." He performed background vocals on the Grover Washington Jr. album, "Soulful Strut," on a song entitled "Play That Groove For Me." He also worked with Sade's back-up band, Sweetback, on a track entitled, "Softly, Softly" for their debut album, not to mention, he did a track on the "Red, Hot & Rio" AIDS benefit compilation CD, entitled "Seguranca (Security)." Clearly, Maxwell was a man on a mission, a mission that is still in progress as we speak.

Maxwell received numerous awards, most notably three Soul Train Music awards for "Best R&B/Soul Single ("Ascension")," "Best R&B Album," and "Best R&B/Rap New Artist." He was also nominated for one Grammy award for "Best New Male Artist." Shortly thereafter, he began to grace the covers of magazines, newspapers, and began to make television and talk show appearances. He became somewhat of a media darling, often being compared to the likes of D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Tony Rich to create an era of music called the "NuSoul Renaissance." The contributions of these young artists and their own personal styles of performance varied, they all maintained originality. They were all new and upcoming artists who were multi-instrumental, they wrote and most times even produced their own material. Also included in their all around description was that they all had a noticeable amount of creative talent. Their music stemmed from the old school while still bringing a refreshing and innovative variation to the sound.

In July, 1997, at the request of M.T.V., Maxwell was given the opportunity to perform his very own Unplugged segment. This would spawn his second album, "Maxwell M.T.V. Unplugged E.P." The album was a performance of his more popular titles from his first album, as well as two remakes, one being the re- formulated Kate Bush original,"This Woman's Work," and the Nine Inch Nails classic entitled, "Closer." The album brought, once again, the attention of yet a more diverse audience of listeners, and became another Maxwell sensation.

In the Summer of 1997, Maxwell took part in an extensive, and at times erratic, European and U.S. tour schedule. It began in June with an eight city European tour, beginning on June 10th in Stockholm, Sweden through June 22, ending in London, England. A week later Maxwell began his tiring and ever-changing U.S. tour. It began on June 29, in Las Vegas, and within the month and a half time frame, he and his nine member band hit 30 cities, ending on August 9, in Oakland. The European/U.S. "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite" tour was one of the hits of the summer of 1997. He co-headlined with the likes of female group sensation, Zhane', and labelmate newcomer Laurnea. From his tour, many of his supporters walked away with an even greater feel for Maxwell.

In January, 1998, with very little time to relax and rejuvenate, Maxwell headed back to the studio to work on his third release. Wanting to give his fans a taste of what was to come, he released his debut single, "Big Umbrella," but fans didn't quite appeal to his sound, citing that he was trying to take a totally new road with his next release. Under a stream of rumors, the release date was slated for early Spring, but the dates kept changing due to temptation and rumors amongst the public at large. Working feverishly, Maxwell finally released his third album, "Embrya," in June, 1998. The results of this release were astounding, as fans from all over got their wishes granted.

The title, "Embrya," refers to an approaching growing transition, and the music spoke for itself. Flaunting mind-illuminating tracks such as "Gestation: Mythos," "Drowndeep: Hula," "Arroz Con Pollo," "I'm You: You Are Me And We Are You," and arguably the album's hottest track, "Luxury: CocoCure," Maxwell blazed his way back to the top, not only on the charts, but in the hearts of R&B listeners. Four weeks after its release, the album was certified Gold, and more success for the album is pending.

October, 1998, was supposed to be another take-off in the making for Maxwell, as he wanted to immersed himself once more to his fans, titled "Maxwell Live '98." The tour would begin in Minneapolis on October 7th, and ran through the end of November. Early on the tour shaped up quickly with confirmed dates in cities such as Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Detroit and Washington D.C., to name a few. Tickets had already gone on sale and in locations such as D.C., were selling out within two to three days. Maxwell and his nine-piece band that was comprised of many of the same members from his first tour were in the midst of hitting the road again. The fans, promoters and media were ready to see what was in store for us this time. There was heavy anticipation to see and hear Maxwell live once again. But in September, he cited personal reasons to postpone the tour. He would not get into full detail as to why he postponed it, but he committed himself to the fans for an upcoming tour. No dates have been set as of yet.

In the meantime, Maxwell has been working on several projects, most notably making an appearance on the "Life" soundtrack with the popular tune, "Fortunate," an effort belted out after teaming up with all-star producer R. Kelly. Fans and music listeners still await the newest explosion in Maxwell's arsenal, and I, for one, will stand back so the debris from such Maxwell explosions won't hit me in the face! I hope everyone will do the same.....

Damainion...

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